All That Was Forgotten
by Blaire023
Summary: Updated 0323Chap 7 up Season 3: Lex's electroshock therapy erases the time he spent with Chloe. Strictly CHLEX
1. Prologue

Title: All That Was Forgotten

Author: Blaire

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing, don't sue!

A/N: Lex's electroshock therapy erases the time he spent with Chloe.

_Prologue:  
_  
Chloe's head turned to the doorway, following Clark's glance as the bell above the double glass doors chimed. Lex Luthor, immaculate in his masculinity strolled toward the counter where Lana stood and proceeded to order his usual.  
  
Chloe's frown wasn't masked quickly enough as she looked back down at the article she was editting for Clark. Clark noticed the frown of her lips and looked back over his shoulder toward Lex and Lana. When he turned back around he watched Pete come into the Talon and saunter up to the table, squeezing in between Chloe and the pillar at the end of the booth seat.  
  
"Man, Clark, if you just ran a spellcheck, Chloe wouldn't have to spend her free time going over every single sentence with a fine-tooth comb."  
  
Clark blushed and ducked his head, his eyes looking at Chloe under heavy lashes. "I know." He admitted sheepishly. But he actually liked that Chloe took the time out of her days, which had become busier and busier, to go over something so inane with him.  
  
Chloe smiled over at Pete and clicked the document shut after saving it onto the floppy disk Clark had handed her just minutes earlier. "Actually, I don't mind." She sighed and passed the disk over to Clark, making sure she had her own copy of it on her harddrive. "Atleast this way I know he's doing his work and not just blowing off these assignments."  
  
Clark looked back over his shoulder as Lana laughed at something Lex said. "I think I'm going to get a refill..." He stood up not waiting for anyone to comment and Chloe waved her hand toward his empty seat.  
  
"And he's off..." She said jokingly and closed down her laptop.  
  
She was aware of eyes watching her and when she raised her head enough to look up at the counter from the corner of her eye she noticed Lex staring back at her. Just as quickly he turned and smiled at something Clark said, then excused himself.  
  
On his way past their table he seemed to slow down just a bit and hesitate whether or not to pass them by.  
  
Decided against being subjected to Mr. Ross' eye-rolls and lude comments he walked past. And wondered why there was a heaviness settling in the pit of his stomach.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Flashbacks are in _italics_.  
  
1.  
  
Chloe leaned against the headboard of her bed, her laptop illuminating the darkness of her room. She didn't know why she did this. Knew she was only torturing herself every time she inhaled. But the shirt she was burried in, the shirt she pulled on every night after she took a shower, smelled like him. Felt like him.  
  
It had surprised her that Lana never asked her about it. It was dark grey in color, the same tint as those tiny flecks in his eyes that surrounded that pool of stone blue. It was a light weight, most likely imported, cotton. She remembered how it looked on him the night she'd gone to see him.  
  
_Lex paced the oriental rug of his study, staring down blankly at the merger in his hand. His other hand cupped the tumbler of brandy that was already halfway gone. When he heard the soft rap of knuckles on his study door he walked over to his desk and freed his hands. Then turned around and just stared. God, she was beautiful. Every day he wanted to seek her out just to hear her voice when she got defiant, when she striked up conversation and made her point loud and clear.  
  
She came to him more and more often, less shy each time. This time her eyes sparkled with mirth as she came towards him, where he was perched on the corner of his desk. "Miss Sullivan." He nodded her way and received a bubbling laughter.  
  
"Last name basis again, Mr. Luthor?"  
  
Lex smiled down at her and slipped both arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He lowered his head and nuzzled her ear with his nose, lips, until his tongue touched her earlobe and he felt her full body shudder move right through him. "It is a tad too formal, isn't it." He conceded.  
  
"Mmm." Chloe purred, leaning her head back as his lips traced the outline of her jaw so slowly and so tenderly. "I think it just may be." She smiled at him and brushed her lips across his chin. "Especially for what I have in mind." The wicked grin revealed her straight white teeth and Lex smiled back at her openly. When she lifted the edge of his tight fitting grey tshirt, he lifted his arms in compliance._  
  
She could still remember him talking to her as she got dressed, retrieving her clothes from around his study. When she couldn't find her shirt, she'd pulled his on and he'd simply raised an eyebrow and slowly let his gaze travel across the front of her figure. She'd asked him if he minded and he'd shook his head and told her to keep it. It'd given her pause at the easy way he'd let her have a peice of him. It had made her wonder how often he casually let women take articles of clothing of his. And she smiled as she rememebered his palm touching her arm, his fingers closing around her firm flesh, and squeezing gently.  
  
He'd wanted something in return and when he told her she had laughed. And quickly obeyed, hiking her denim skirt up to her waist and slowly sliding her purple lace thong down her legs, over her shoes, and kicking the scrap of material up at him. He'd caught it one handed and had leaned over to kiss her goodbye even as he stashed the panties in his pants pocket. She'd called him a dirty old man and he'd waggled his eyebrows at her.  
  
Chloe sighed and brushed her knuckles across the monitor of her laptop. Lex smiled back at her from the interview she and Clark had conducted her freshman year. His quirky half smile stared back at her from the frame she'd paused the video at. She wanted to touch him for real. She wanted him to remember her. Them. The way things were before Lionel found out.  
  
"Lex." A hand grabbed his shoulder and shook him lightly. "Lex. Are you okay?"  
  
Lex opened his eyes slowly. He still couldn't remember things clearly. He thought he could hear himself saying, "I love you." But he couldn't see the face of the person at the entrance of his bedroom. He could still smell baby oil, and a woman's hands on him. But it didn't make a lot of sense to him. He shook his head to clear it and leveled himself up until his elbows were behind him holding his frame into a leaning position.  
  
"What did you remember, Lex?" Dr. Tina Madson spoke softly, as to not disturb whatever memories he'd uncovered.  
  
"I remember a woman."  
  
She scribbled something in shorthand with her notebook and looked back up at him willing him to go on.  
  
Lex squinted his eyes and released his elbows, letting his body drop back onto the soft suede of the couch. "I can't see her face." He tried to conjure up the face of the last woman he was with. Helen? No. Maybe. No, definitely not.  
  
"Can you see what she's wearing?"  
  
Lex wet his dry lips and pressed the heels of his hands against his closed eyes for a moment. "Red lipstick."  
  
"Can you tell me what color her eyes are?" Dr. Madson crossed one leg over the other and watched his face intently as his features relaxed and he laughed out loud.  
  
"No, the lipstick, it isn't on her lips."  
  
Tina's brow shot up until they were hidden under the straight cut of her orange bangs. "Where's the red lipstick, Lex? Is it on another part of her body?"  
  
Lex nodded and let a small smile curve his lips up at the corners. He could practically feel the tension easing out of his limbs. "The lipstick is on her stomach, i'm drawing something on her stomach, right above her navel."  
  
Dr. Madson watched intently as he placed his left hand over his own stomach. "What are you drawing Lex?"  
  
Lex conjured up the patterns he swirled across the pale skin like a canvas. "A heart."  
  
"Just a heart Lex?"  
  
Lex opened his eyes and looked over at the doctor. "She's laughing, like it tickles her. Her body is shaking with laughter, but I can't hear her." His frown marred his once serene face.  
  
Dr. Madson jotted down a few more notes and stood, gathering her briefcase. "Well, I'm pleased that we're finally breaking down some of those walls, Mr. Luthor."  
  
The way she said his name made him pause as he was rising up off the couch. He slowly came to a stand in front of her and stuck his hands in his pockets. "And are we still under the confidentiality agreement we entered these sessions under?" Lex questioned sternly.  
  
Dr. Madson pat his arm and smiled, the long orange ponytail pulled tight on her head swishing with every movement. "Of course we are."  
  
Lex nodded and stood there staring at her back as she retreated.

TBC


	3. Chapter 2

2.  
  
Chloe laid her head down on her desk in the Torch office. She listened to her voicemail over the speakerphone and could barely contain her surprise when a familiar voice spoke out loud. Her head popped up and she stared down at the cradle for the phone, listening to her contact. "This is Jack McNeal for Chloe Sullivan. I've done a little digging and have come up with the name of a psychiatrist in Metropolis that may have related work to the case you specified. Her name is Tina Madson. Her office is actually located on the ground floor of Metropolis General in the Psyche Ward. If you need anymore information, you know my number."  
  
Chloe pressed her fingertips to her lips trying to hide the grin that was spreading rapidly. So Lex was getting help to regain his memory. She knew it was only a matter of time before he took that route. Now if only she knew what he did. Her mind time traveled back to the day after he'd been admitted to Belle Reve.  
  
_Chloe was smiling as she pushed open the doors of Lex's study. It was a smile that had quickly fallen into a frown when he wasn't there to greet her.  
  
"Ahhh, Miss Sullivan." Lionel's voice carried through the vastness of the room. Chloe took a few more steps into the room and looked up at the library where Lionel was leaning against the banister. With a smug grin he stepped back and started down the stairs. "I had a feeling you'd make an appearance after the invitation I sent you."  
  
Chloe narrowed her eyes and straightened her posture. "You sent it from Lex."  
  
Lionel stopped a few feet away from her and pursed his lips. "So I did." He turned his back to her and went towards his son's desk. "You see, yesterday, after my son's unfortunate relapse..."  
  
Chloe interupted him with a rude unladylike sound. "Pfffft, you mean after you drugged him? I was there Mr. Luthor. I saw what state he was in..."  
  
"Which I find rather interesting, don't you?" At her blank stare he pulled the top drawer of the desk open. He pulled out a framed picture and unfolded it, setting it on top of the desk, facing her. "But I have to ask myself, how much time are you spending with my son, Miss Sullivan?" Lionel smiled and leaned over to look at the picture. "And what are your motives?"  
  
Chloe opened her mouth in disbelief. "You know, I really don't have to take anymore shit from you." When she turned around to leave the room Lionel laughed outright.  
  
"It is such a shame that we no longer work together." Lionel smiled and watched Chloe's back as it rose and fell in controlled breathing. "I find we made a rather, interesting team."  
  
Chloe turned around and narrowed her eyes again. "I already told him everything."  
  
Lionel lowered himself into the leather high-backed chair behind the desk and steepled his fingers in front of him. "I hope he took it well, because when he returns, you'll have to retell him the story. Not that he'll remember anything about the time you two spent together."  
  
Chloe frowned and took a few steps toward him. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Lionel leaned back and smiled. The show of his canines a mere threat all on their own. "Due to my son's lacking mental health, I admitted him to Belle Reve just 12 hours ago. He'll undergo medicinal treatment, and at the end of that period, if I feel it in his best interest, he'll also be subjected to Shock Therapy."  
  
Chloe blinked back the tears and snapped her jaw shut. "Don't you mean for your best interest, Mr. Luthor?" Chloe took two steps forward, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "What are you afraid of Lionel?" His name rolled off her tongue as if she'd gotten a taste of something despicable. "Just how much does Lex know about your past dealing with Morgan Edge?"  
  
Although Lionel showed no interest in the fact that she knew about such things, she knew he was surprised. "I'd say, Miss Sullivan, that in a few weeks, he'll know nothing of the sort." He stood and leaned forward, his palms connecting sharply with the glass desktop. "Or of you and your time together." Chloe backed up a step at the silent but deadly tone of his voice. "And if you go so far as to try to rekindle any such relations with my son, I'll see your name and your father's name slandered across every paper from here to Japan. Your father will never work again."  
  
Chloe swallowed and shook her head. "He's your son." She said softly. Still in disbelief that Lex had been born of a seed so evil and unloving.  
  
Lionel slapped his hands down again, his hair falling in his eyes. "Damn right he's my son."  
_

_He stood back up and straightened his tie before pushing the hair out of his face and grinning evilly at her. "And if you should try to take him away from me, I'll know. And I won't be held responsible for any such outcome." He placed his hands in his pockets and met her unblinking stare with his own. "You're dismissed, Miss Sullivan."  
  
Chloe turned on her heel, and rather than giving into the urge of running away, she walked with her head held high out of the study, out of the manor, and out of Lex's life._

Quickly, Chloe jotted down the name of the psychiatrist and stuffed it into her backpack. Then she erased all her voicemails. It looked like she'd be doing a little traveling this weekend.  
  
Dr. Tina Madson walked down the narrow corridor of the Psyche Ward located one level below ground. Most of the nurses and doctors down there called it the Basement. And sometimes, she admitted it to herself that she felt the same way.  
  
Walls were painted a light shade of grey and the tiles of the floors, one hallway after another, was made of an aggregate walkway. Her office, located in the very last room off of one of the very last hallsin one of the deepest corners of the Ward was the least visited of all. She preferred meeting her patients on their turf. Just as she'd gone to Smallville to visit with the youngest Luthor. It was truly amazing how strong minded he was to be able to overcome such things as Shock Therapy. In most cases, it was indeed the last resort to fighting a mental breakdown. Yet it was the one thing that could fully cure someone of their past, erasing any life altering experiences.  
  
Being stranded on an island and thought to be dead for three months and surviving only through hallucinations could have been a very tough situation to overcome. The woman in his memories could just as well had been a hallucination. A make believe partner thought up to provide the companionship and love he'd needed to survive after losing his wife and living through a near-death experience.  
  
As Dr Madson turned the corner of the hall she saw the reflection of the light spilling out from her office. Knowing she had locked the door the night before, she grabbed her keys out of her coat pocket and made sure the edge of her car key was tight between her knuckles as she entered her office. A petite blonde turned from where she was reading her diploma and smiled graciously at her.  
  
When she started forward with an outstretched hand and noticed the car keys still clinging tightly between the doctor's knuckles, Chloe jerked her hand back to her body. "I don't really think you'll need those." She smiled persuasively at the redhead. "I prefer to keep my eyeballs in tact, thanks."  
  
Tina looked down at her fisted hand and laughed. "Oh, my." She released her keys and dropped them onto her desk. "You frightened me." She confessed and held out her now freed right hand. Chloe arched a brow and shook her hand. "Dr. Madson, and you are?"  
  
Chloe smiled and moved aside for the doctor to take her seat behind the battered green metal military style issued desk. She in turn took the armchair facing hers. "Chloe Sullivan. And yes, I know who you are."  
  
Tina smiled and looked the younger woman up and down. "You don't look ill in the head, so to speak, so what can I help you with."  
  
Chloe sucked in a breath and released it slowly. "I know you're acting as psychiatrist to Lex Luthor..."  
  
Dr. Madson stood up abruptly. "I knew I recognized you from somewhere. You're the highschool girl with the column at the Daily Planet. Well, I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about..." As she started forward Chloe jumped out of her seat and slammed her office door shut, locking it quickly and then grabbing the keys from the doctor's desk.  
  
"This isn't about an article, I swear. And I don't report for the Daily Planet anymore, I was let go."  
  
Tina's eyes shifted uneasily around the room that kept getting smaller and smaller by the minute. There was a certain level of panic in the girl's eyes and she knew how to deal with this type of situation. "Miss Sullivan, I suggest..."  
  
"Just listen to me, please." For once she let the tears spring to life and drip down her cheeks. She'd never cried in front of anyone about this before. "I need to know what Lex is remembering. His life could be in danger..."  
  
Tina stared at the girl in front of her. A thought came to her mind and she blurted it out without thinking about it. "You're the woman he's remembering, aren't you?"  
  
At her suddenly spoken words Chloe froze and swallowed. Her throat too tight and constrictive. "I...I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Check. Tina thought and smiled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Mr. Luthor's memory is coming back in tiny increments, and he remembers a woman, he's fairly certain she was not his wife." Tina let her smile widen and leaned her hip against the edge of the metal desk. "And it wasn't his wife, the good Dr. Helen Bryce, was it Miss Sullivan? It was you."  
  
Chloe leaned back against the door and closed her eyes. He remembered her. "What does he remember?" She asked softly.  
  
Tina let her smile fall as she took in the girl's slumped form. "Drawing patterns on your stomach with red lipstick. Does that ring a bell?"  
  
Chloe opened her eyes and laughed. It had been his damn idea. "Yeah, it was a heart."  
  
Tina watched relief come over the younger woman's features and spread through her body until she moved forward and sat back down in the chair, staring up at her. "There are some things he can't remember, Dr. Madson. Things in his father's past that he knows and..."  
  
"If you love him so much, why don't you come forward?" Chloe blinked to clear her vision and stared at the Doctor.  
  
"I can't." Chloe shook her head as she said the words.  
  
"Why, Chloe." Tina sank down to the floor and held both of the blonde's hands inside hers. "Why can't you help him remember."  
  
Chloe closed her eyes and shook her head. "Because I do love him."  
  
TBC...  
  
A/N: Last angsty chapter people. The rest will start to get better. 


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Stop reading if you don't approve of my R rating. Because more than just some cursing is about to happen. That's right kiddies...a little Chlex loving (NOT SMUT!!!) is about to take place. Lap it up cuz I think this is the only chapter with it in it. AND DON'T FORGET I NEED THE FEEDBACK!!! SO GIMMEE!

3.  
  
_He could feel her around him, sheathing him deep inside her body as she rose up and fell back down to him gracefully. Lex splayed a hand across her back, directing her to lean down, and he arched his neck up to cover her nipple with his mouth. The pink bud tightened and he could hear her gasp his name, hear her heavy breathing, feel her nails scarring crescent shapes into the soft flesh at his shoulders.  
  
Her legs quivered uncontrollably as she moved harder, faster, matching the tempo of her hips to the suction of his mouth. As he flicked his tongue across and around the captured peak he heard her cry out.  
  
"Oh, God, Lex. Fuck!" And she came.  
  
Her muscles tightened around him, her hips pistoned sporadically as her orgasm rolled through her and into him. Lex let go of the flesh he'd held in his mouth and his head fell back, hitting his pillow as he opened his mouth and her name rode out on his tongue in long syllables.  
_

Lex shot up from the bed, panting, gasping, trying to suck air back into his lungs after noisiliy dispelling it. His body was covered in a thin matting of persperation and his silk sheets clung to him as he tried to move his legs over to the side of the bed.  
  
He could still hear her name rolling off his tongue in his time of explosion, but why? Why her? It was the second time he'd dreamt that exact dream. She'd felt the same, tasted the same, sounded the same. Her eyes had glittered hazel at him and her hair had tickled his throat as she'd kissed her way down his body to taste him with her lips in other places.  
  
The knock on his bedroom door had him bolting upright just as he was about to lay back down. He padded silently over to his closet and pulled out a long thick robe, then tied the sash around his nude form. He called out for just a minute and walked into his adjoined bathroom, not bothering to turn on any lights, he grabbed a plush towel and mopped the existing sweat from his head and face. As he turned to go he looked over at the vase on the corner of the vanity set aside from the rest of his bathroom. It had been his mother's and he'd salvaged it when his father had decided to throw most of her stuff out. There was no use living in the past, as he'd reminded Lex time and time again.  
  
The crystal vase was empty, which struck Lex as odd since he'd ordered his maid to pick fresh flowers from the garden twice a week. Lex looked at the corner of the vanity and picked up the small keepsake box from the corner of it. His mother's necklace, he thought as he rubbed the pad of his thumb over the engraving on the edge of the brass clasp that held it closed. As he walked to his bedroom door he flipped open the lid and stopped in his tracks. That was odd.  
  
Lex stared down at the undeveloped roll of 35mm film. Surely that hadn't been there all this time. Or had it? He remembered looking in the box the day before he was to marry Helen. Remembered thinking his mother's necklace would look beautiful on her. But when he'd asked her to wear it, she'd refused, stating she already had her accesories picked out. Lex frowned and weighed the roll of film in one hand, then set the box down on the table just inside his door. He opened his door with his other hand and arched a brow at his maid Maria. She stood there in his doorway with freshly folded towels and a bright smile. The fakest smile he'd ever seen grace her naturally maternal face.  
  
"Maria." Lex said and stepped aside.  
  
"Mr. Luthor." Maria spoke quickly and quietly as she went to his bathroom and removed his old towels.  
  
Lex pocketed the roll of film, whatever was on those pictures he was sure it was something interesting and he'd just have to take them to a personal friend later. Lex thought back to the crystal vase and leaned against the archway that seperated his bed and bath. "Maria, why aren't there any flowers in my mother's vase?"  
  
Maria looked startled for a moment and then smoothed her hands down her gray uniform skirt. "Before you were placed in the hospital, sir, you excused me from that privilege."  
  
Lex frowned and couldn't help but notice the way she kept straightening the same towel over and over again. "Do you know why I'd do that, Maria?"  
  
Maria lifted her hands and fluttered them as she said, "You said you would do it yourself."  
  
Lex looked over at the crystal vase. He'd picked flowers for his mother when he was much younger, his father would chastise him about ruining their garden or landscaping. "Did I?"  
  
At Maria's confused look he sighed and ran a hand over his head, patting the pocket of his robe with the other. "Nevermind." He muttered and went over to his closet.  
  
Then again, if he'd been involved with a woman [i]after[/i] Helen, wouldn't either Maria or Enrique know? They'd have to know. Enrique especially since he was like a watchdog.  
  
"Maria." Lex called as he took down a pair of black slacks and a tight fitting red long sleeved shirt. He frowned at his rack of clothes that ran the entire length of his closet when he didn't see the grey one that was almost the exact thing as the maroon one he held on the hanger.  
  
Maria stuck her head in the closet and nodded at his choice of apparel. "Yes, Mr. Luthor."  
  
Lex sighed and pulled down a pair of silk boxers which he noticed his maid immediately frown upon. Lex followed her gaze to the pants he had hanging over his arm. "What?"  
  
When she narrowed her eyes and then widened them as if in recognition, Lex dropped his shirt and boxers the carpeted floor and held out his pants, shaking them. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Mama Mia..." Maria whispered and covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my, Mr. Luthor." She shook her head and laughed for a moment then turned and walked away shaking her head.  
  
Lex looked down at the floor near his feet and there a scrap of purple lace stared back at him. His brows knitted together and he picked up the garment, which proved to be a woman's thong when he closely scrutinized it. Hell if he knew who's it was. First one of his favorite shirts was missing, and he hadn't even realized it until now, and a pair of panties had been stuck in the pocket of his pants. Not to mention the roll of film. What the hell was he forgetting?  
  
Chloe hands were trembling by the time she made it to her car. She'd go as far as the Talon today. If he was there, she'd talk to him, if not, she'd just have to wait. There was no way in hell she was going to go back to the manor and look for him.  
  
Chloe pressed her lips together in one grim line. Damn that Dr. Madson for opening her up until she got it all out. She hadn't told anyone about her and Lex's relationship, so she was thankful for the confidentiality agreement that the Dr had agreed to. Yet she knew she could use what Chloe told her, which was pretty much all of it, to twist his memories into something clearer. Chloe shivered in the wamth of her car. She'd go to the Talon and work on her next article. If he didn't show up by lunchtime, she'd give it a rest for the day.  
  
How was she supposed to break it to Lex that they'd once been happy. She could just picture it now, just as it had happened not that long ago.  
  
_Chloe laughed and looked at Lex. "We're not dating, Lex."  
  
Lex pursed his lips and conceded with a nod. "Okay, we're not technically going out places together which is what constitutes the boundaries of dating, but we're spending quality time together."  
  
Chloe laughed again and flung some dirt at him with her trowel. "Planting Azalea's together in your freaky little indoor garden is quality time?" She snickered and patted the dirt around the base of the bush. "You sure know how to show a girl a good time, Luthor."  
  
Lex eyed her cautiously then flung soil right back at her. "If I were to take you out, what would you be interested in doing?"  
  
Chloe's eyes met his levelly and she smiled softly at him before leaning over to brush her lips across a clean spot on his chin. "If you were going to take me out it wouldn't matter where we went, as long as I'm with you, I'm happy."  
  
Lex smiled down at her, a big genuine smile that showed off his pearly whites. "You're getting soft on me, Sullivan."  
  
Chloe arched a brow and set her gardening stuff down, then climbed into his lap and wrapped her dirt smudged arms around her neck. She shifted and felt the hint of his erection nudge against the inside of her thigh. "And it appears you're getting hard on me, Luthor."  
  
Lex chuckled softly in her ear and then nipped the shell of it with his teeth. "I love you."  
  
Chloe leaned back and opened her tear filled eyes. "I love you, too, Lex."  
  
Lex closed his eyes and groaned. "Don't stop saying that to me."  
  
Chloe giggled and burried her face in his neck where the smell of him was powerfully masculine. "I love you so much, Lex."  
  
"I love you too, Chloe."  
  
He shoved aside the potting soil and one handedly spread a small tarp down across the dirt littered path. As he layed her back on to it he looked into her eyes. "Say it again." He whispered harshly as he pushed her skirt up her legs and unzipped his pants.  
  
"I love you." Chloe gasped as he pushed into her and filled her completely. "I love you." She repeated as she pulled his face down to hers. And for their first time, made love._

__  
Chloe sighed and rubbed her hands over her eyes as she realized she'd driven all the way to the Talon on autopilot. 'Well, here goes nothing,' she thought as she got out of her car and gathered her bag.  
  
TBC...


	5. Chapter 4

4.  
  
Chloe ordered her usual coffee and sat in a back booth, after opening her laptop and pulling up the last article she had to work on for the Torch, she stared blankly at the screen. The warmth of the coffee mug she rolled between her palms in front of her heated her hands. Inwardly she was practicing her speech should Lex happen to walk in those doors. Then she'd have to decide whether or not to approach him, or let him come to her. Which he used to do whenever Pete wasn't around. And well, since Pete was at football practice for the evening and Clark was helping his dad put in new fence posts, she was stuck here all alone. She was vaguely aware of the jocks that came through the doors, vaguely aware of one of them looking her way. When she blinked her eyes to bring the room back into focus she smiled at the guy seated a few booths across from hers. Basketball player for the Smallville Crows. Weee, Chloe thought, break out the party favors.  
  
She nearly coughed up the swallow she'd taken when the guy in question stood up from his seat and said something to his friends, then turned and pointed straight at her. Although she kept her cool, she really wanted to turn around and check behind her. Surely there was more than just wall behind her right? Then she remembered she was isolated in a corner and the only thing behind her was a mirror, and a pillar. Chloe took in the guy's appearance. As tall as Clark, so a little over 6 foot, dark brown hair, closely shaved, more brawn than brain she'd guess. Personally, she'd come to realize she fell for the brain. And maybe the bald.  
  
And maybe it was just Lex.  
  
"Working hard, or hardly working?" A deep timbre said as the jock leaned down next to her and looked over her shoulder at the screen of her laptop.  
  
Puhlease! She thought as she saved the latest document and shut down her files. "A little of both." She replied and smiled up at him.  
  
He smiled right back and motioned to the seat across from her. "That chair taken?"  
  
Fully expecting him to take it back to his own booth she waved her hand negligently at it. "Nope, take it away."  
  
A deep laugh echoed in their corner and he straddled it backwards, crossing his arms over the high back of it. "I'm Ben." He held out his hand and smiled when she faltered. "Chloe, right?"  
  
"Uhh" Chloe took the offered hand and shook lightly. "Yes..."  
  
Ben smiled and when she tried to retrieve her hand, he held it just a little firmer, running his thumb over the side of hers. "I like your work, Chloe. You write for the Torch."  
  
Chloe smiled and slid her hand out of his gracefully. "Yes, actually. I do."  
  
Ben nodded and they fell into an easy chatter.  
  
Lex stood in the corner of the darkroom, leaning against a stainless steel countertop while the red lights glowed on every surface. He watched intently as the man he'd taken the photos to produced the film. "Wow." When the guy muttered the words and shot his a sheepish grin Lex moved forward. "Sorry, man. But damn, that's one fine lady."  
  
Lex stood next to him and looked down at the picture. A gasp caught in his throat and he forgot how to breath. Wrapped up in his silk sheets, staring straight at him, was the woman starring in his pornographic dreams. Chloe Sullivan was smiling at him. Him.  
  
"How long will it be before you process the rest of the pictures?"  
  
"Oh..." The man looked back down at the picture and then grinned. "A few more minutes, that should be all." He motioned over to the drying line. "You can check out the ones I was working on before you came in."  
  
Lex headed over to the product line that hung from a hook in one wall, to another. A dozen shots, all in order, it seemed, were of him. He was smiling, laughing in one of them, and another he was reaching out his hand toward the person taking the picture. Which he'd bet was Chloe.  
  
Lex touched his fingers to his temples, and groaned. What the hell had he been doing with Chloe Sullivan. He hoped like hell she wasn't working for his father and hadn't drugged him or something stupid like that.  
  
"And, here you go." The developer brought over another dozen of photos and started hanging them with tiny wooden clothespins.  
  
Lex moved down the line, past the one he'd seen of Chloe in his bed. And a gurgle of anger rose within him as he stepped down the line. There was one of him, apparently naked, and her, apparently naked as well, both smiling into the camera, his right arm was wrapped around her, right across her breasts, but still creating ample cleavage and she was laughing. His left arm was outstretched as if he'd been the one holding the camera. Both her arms were raised above her and reached back to encircle his neck bringing his face down closer to hers, almost aligned cheek to cheek.  
  
Lex swallowed back the tears that threatened. Obviously Chloe was the woman he'd been with and the woman he'd forgotten. But if that were the case, why hadn't she come forward?  
  
Lex inhaled shakily and blew out a stream of air. He had to get out of there. The walls were too confining, everything cast in an erie glow.  
  
"Can you send these photos and the negatives to my penthouse in Metropolis?"  
  
The guy nodded absently and sighed. "Wow, I wish my wife would look at me like that."  
  
His wistful comment had Lex turning back around. "Like what?" He questioned cautiously.  
  
The man pointed to the very last picture that Lex had somehow altogether missed in his quest for escape. Chloe Sullivan had tears in her eyes. The kind of tears that came when someone was so completely happy that they could yell and scream and shout, and the tears just topped it off. Her face was so serene, the small smile that curved her lips only made her look more angelic. And the tears that threatened to spill, like she was responding to something he'd said. He squinted his eyes and looked a little closer. She was wearing something. His shirt?  
  
Had he given Chloe his shirt?  
  
Jesus, his brain felt like scrambled eggs. He needed to find her, figure out why she'd left him the film instead of just coming to him. Unless she thought he wouldn't believe her. Lex grabbed the picture of them both naked and posing lovingly for the camera and walked out the door. Questions haunted him as he made his way down to the parking garage. Would he have believed her if she'd come to him without proof?  
  
There had always been _something_ about Chloe that he hadn't been able to shake off. But it still bothered him in so many ways that he could be with her, and not remember it.  
  
As Lex flipped open his cell phone he narrowed his eyes and walked to his car. Somebody had a hell of a lot of explaining to do.  
  
Lana picked up the Talon phone that was mercilessly ringing off the hook and answered it in a cheery tune. "The Talon, Lana speaking."  
  
"Lana."  
  
Lana frowned and as the voice recognition hit her she smiled tepidly as if he was standing there and could see her. "Uh, Lex?"  
  
"I need you to do me a favor. Look around and tell me if you see Chloe."  
  
Lana laughed a littled and smiled fully. "Trying to track down the elusive?"  
  
Lex frowned and navigated his aston martin around a curvy bend. "Elusive?"  
  
"She doesn't really hang out here that much anymore, but I'll check for you." Lana looked around and spotted Chloe in the farthest corner, talking to a jock. She brought the phone back up to her ear and frowned even harder as Ben reached over the table and tucked a peice of hair behind Chloe's ear. "Yeah, she's here."  
  
Lex contained his sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted to do on a Sunday was hunt all over Smallville for her. "Thanks, Lana."  
  
"Uhh, sure." Lana said in a little confused tone and heard the distinct sound of being hung up on. She watched the couple for another minute or so, could tune in Chloe's laughter and the cocky way she tilted her head. She picked up on Ben's exciting chatter and decided it was time to butt in. She grabbed her pad of paper and stuck a pencil behind her ear.  
  
Chloe caught a glimpse of Lana coming up to them and smiled sharply. "Hey, Lana."  
  
Lana's smile shifted and she stopped at the edge of their table. "Hey." She smiled at Ben. "Can I get you something?"  
  
Ben looked over at Chloe winked. "I'll have whatever she's having."  
  
Lana arched a perfectly shaped brow and pursed her lips to hide the smile that threatened to curve her lips. "Got it." She replied. And turned around to walk away. Halfway to the counter she turned back around to look at Chloe and when she caught her attention she jokingly fanned her pad of paper at her face. When Chloe rolled her eyes and shooed her away she turned back around and laughed. It was good to see her roommate finally getting out of her funk.  
  
TBC... 


	6. Chapter 5

5.  
  
Chloe stood up with her laptop tucked under one arm and her purse slung diagonally across her front. Ben stood also, talking as he did. "So, you want to catch that movie?"  
  
Chloe smiled and felt her face flush with warmth. She'd made herself a promise, and it was nearing noon. "I'd like that." Chloe said as she scooted around the booth. "But I'm kind of involved with someone." She didn't feel like it was a complete lie, afterall, even if Lex didn't remember her, she sure as hell remembered him. And his love. If they never had that again, atleast she'd be able to say that she knew what love was. She'd felt it. She'd lived it. Even if for such a short period of time.  
  
"I can manage a friendly outting." Ben smiled his winning smile and Chloe shifted from one foot to another. He obviously sensed her hesitation. "Maybe I can hook up something with Lana and one of the guys." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder to where Lana was standing.  
  
Chloe knew the look on her face was one of total uncertainty. She really didn't want to say no, her only guy friends consisted of Pete and Clark, and they weren't much to write home about. Ben grabbed her hand with both of his and looked pleadingly at her. "I really like you, Chloe. If all you want to be is friends, I can respect that."  
  
"You mean you want more, but you'll settle for friends."  
  
Ben shrugged and flashed a boyishly charming dimple. "Pretty much."  
  
Chloe was about to nod when Lana called out her name. "I'll take a raincheck." She promised him and walked towards the counter as Lana waved her over. "Hey, did you need something?"  
  
Lana had noticed that Chloe was about to leave, and she knew Lex had, even though he hadn't said it out loud, wanted to see her for something. "Uhm, well, actually, I'm kinda short a person, Amy just called in and said she'd be a few minutes late. Do you think you could help out just until she gets in?"  
  
Chloe looked around the packed Talon and watched Jenna clock out. "Sure, I guess." Chloe crinkled her nose at the apron Lana handed her.  
  
"It doesn't bite, I swear."  
  
Chloe laughed and slid her laptop and purse onto a shelf beneath the counter. "No, it just looks absolutely hideous with this particular outfit." She flashed a smile and tied the apron around her waist.  
  
Lana sighed inwardly at having won some of Chloe's time. "So, you and Ben Connelly..."  
  
Chloe looked over at Lana, "Don't even start." She warned and moved to the first table to take an order.  
  
Lana watched Ben watching Chloe and sighed. When had a guy ever looked at her that way? Her lips moved into a pouty position and she jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder from behind. "Hey. Mad at the world today?"  
  
Lana turned to smile at Pete. "Nope, I'm having a great day."  
  
Pete shook his head and chuckled. "Well here comes your partner, and he doesn't look like he's having the best day so far."  
  
Lana turned her head back around to see Lex stop and lean down, saying something to Chloe. And she watched the blood drain out of Chloe's face.  
  
Lex had spotted her as soon he pushed through the doors. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he vaguely wondered why she was wearing an apron and taking orders. But in the forfront of his mind, all he could think of was the picture in his coat pocket. He stopped a foot away from her and cleared his throat. When she stopped talking midsentence and her eyes slowly looked up at him, he knew she knew. "Miss Sullivan." He nodded his head toward the hallway leading towards the restrooms. "I'd like to speak with you in my office."  
  
Chloe gulped and felt her hands shaking, she felt the color drain from her face, could feel her skin go completely cold. She mustered up a smile and tried for a little bit of Lana's cheery attitude. "I'm working right now, Mr. Luthor, but as soon as my break comes, I'll be sure to meet you in your office."  
  
Lex stepped closer and leaned down until his lips were right beside her ear. "I'd like to discuss some photographs of you that you left in my possession." He paused for a calculating moment, letting his words sink in. "It was you, wasn't it?"  
  
Chloe blinked back tears and nodded slowly.  
  
"Take your break now." He ordered in a deathly whisper and stood up straight, then walked past her towards his office. As he passed Lana he glanced in her direction. "Chloe's taking her break now." He stopped abruptly and hadn't realized Chloe had followed him so closely until she barrelled into his back and nearly pushed him over. He heard her muttered apology and looked back at her, raising both brows in amusement. She was flushed, all the color back in her face, if not some extra for emphasis. "Is that a problem, Lana?" Lex asked politely with snide undertones.  
  
When Lana's mouth gaped open and shut like a fish on dry land and she sharply shook her head Lex smiled. "Great." He stepped aside and motioned Chloe with a tilt of his chin. "After you, Miss Sullivan."  
  
Chloe nibbled on her bottom lips and handed the pad and pencil over to Lana, then without looking at Lex she stepped past him and made her way to his office.  
  
"What was that all about?" Pete asked confused.  
  
Lana shook her head and gasped out in a hoarse whisper, "I have no idea."  
  
Pete shrugged and Lana stood staring after them.  
  
Chloe stopped in front of the closed door and Lex reached past her to turn the knob. "Sit down, please."  
  
Chloe nodded dumbly and sat down in the small leather chair facing the smaller than average oak desk. She knew he didn't spend much time here, so she wasn't surprised when he stood instead of sitting behind the desk. He studied her for a moment, while she studied the tops of her shoes. He cleared his throat and was pleasantly pleased when she nearly jumped out of her chair and her eyes clashed with his. "There are a lot of questions I'd like to ask you." Lex started the speech he'd been practicing the whole way here. "But I need to have your full cooperation." When she nodded and then shook her head he tilted his head in silence.  
  
"I can't do that, Lex." Her whispered words felt like a slap. He turned his head as though her hand had actually met his cheek and looked away for a moment.  
  
"Why?" He asked softly.  
  
Chloe looked up at him and felt the tears brimming over and about to spill. "I think you should remember things on your own."  
  
Lex clasped his hands together in front of him and closed his eyes. He tried to regulate his breathing to keep himself from shoutting at her. But what she said next startled him. "It's okay," She said softly. "You can yell at me."  
  
Lex never, _never_ lost his temper in front of an audience. He'd yell and break things on very rare occasion. The fact that she must know that, and that she must have been on the receiving end of one his tantrums only proved what the pictures showed him. There had been a level of love between them. "I'm not going to yell at you, Chloe."  
  
Chloe shifted and stared straight ahead. "I feel like I'm in the principal's office." She whispered and sniffled. Lex left the room and came back with a tissue. He held it out to her and when she took it he laughed outright.  
  
"How in the hell did we end up together?" He asked incredulously.  
  
He regretted the comment immediately when Chloe started shaking her head. "That's a very good question, Lex."  
  
"But not one you're going to answer."  
  
Chloe looked up at him then and shook her head. "I can't answer your questions."  
  
Lex inhaled again and clenched his jaw. "Before you ask me why again, you have to know, it's not because I don't love you." At her spoken words his head whipped around and his eyes locked on hers.  
  
"You love me?" His laughter rang with hurtful anger. "You love me so much you don't want me to remember our time together?"  
  
Chloe stood up and paced in front of him. "Do you think I don't want you to remember? Do you know how hard it is to remember _everything_ and have the person that you love not remember anything?" Chloe stopped in front of him and framed his face with her hands, she could still feel his jaw clenching and unclenching beneath her palms. "It's not safe for you to know about that time, Lex."  
  
He could feel the tears swimming behind his eyes, burning and prickling. Ready to fall free. "What kind of information did I have on my father, Chloe?"  
  
Chloe closed her eyes and let her hands fall to his shoulders, she pressed her face against the smooth material of his shirt. When his hands came up to push her back she shook her head. "Just for a minute." She whispered. She could feel his muscles rippling, his arms drop to his sides, unsure of where to put them. "You could hold me, you know?"  
  
Lex let a small weary smile shift his lips into position, then he raised his hands and ran his fingers through her hair. Something was shifting into place. Chloe moaned softly and let her body relax against his. He directed his hands to her shoulders, down her shoulder blades, down her spine. He locked his fingers together behind her, near the small of her back and leaned his cheek against the top of her head. "I want to know things, Chloe."  
  
Chloe nodded slowly. He pulled back and looked down at her. She was staring at his chest. As if she could see right through him and watch his heart beat pick up wildly as he held her close still. "Okay." She said softly and looked up at him. The smallest of smiles curved her lips. "I'll tell you what you want to know."  
  
They were interupted by the sound of a fist pounding on the door.  
  
TBC... 


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Well we all know Lana is the major cockblocker of them all. It's that damn nosy personality of hers. I bet Chloe slaps the shit out of her when they're playing Clue.  
  
6.  
  
Lex raised his head and looked up at the door. "We've been alone for five minutes, do they think I took you back here to beat you senseless?"  
  
Chloe sniffled and swiped the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes. "You never know."  
  
Lex smiled down at her and ignoring the next knock on his office door, he brushed his lips across her forehead. "Are we in agreement that we aren't finished here?"  
  
Chloe arched a brow and smiled at him tauntingly. "I suppose."  
  
Lex squeezed her to him and laid his cheek against the crown of her head. "Did I ever tell you that I loved you?"  
  
Chloe smiled wide against the front of his shirt and knew when he answered the door, his shirt would have little splotches of water on them from her spilt tears. "All the time."  
  
Lex sighed and eased her away from him. "Guess I should unlock that before they break it down."  
  
Chloe leaned back against his oak desk and watched him move away from her, across the span of the room. She composed herself as she told herself everything would be fine now. Lex opened the door and to both his and Chloe's satisfaction, Pete spilled into the office his fist raised in mid swing. Chloe laughed softly as she shook her head and Pete pulled himself up and glared at Lex. "I need to talk to Chloe."  
  
Chloe's eyes danced with amusement and Lex's calm appearance nearly made her laugh again. Here was Pete, intruding on probably the most important part of her life up to date, and he was having a stare down with Lex. She wondered if they were mentally challenging eachother to a pissing match out back in the alley behind the Talon. Lex's lips quirked up at one corner and he walked back towards Chloe, and for the first time in what felt like forever he smiled at her with his back to Pete. He stepped around her and settled in the chair behind his desk, and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"What'd you need to talk to me about?" Chloe pushed away from the edge of the desk and stood in the center of the room.  
  
"I just wanted to make sure everything was okay in here."  
  
Chloe looked back at Lex over her shoulder and fought back the smile as he shrugged his shoulders as if saying, 'Who, me? I'm innocent.'  
  
Chloe sighed and shoved her hair out of her eyes with one hand. "Everything's fine, Pete. Really."  
  
Pete shifted from his left foot to his right and then back again. "I've got to get back to the school, practice and all." He studied Lex carefully then his eyes went to Chloe's again. "You sure everything's alright?"  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes and walked toward him, shoving him backwards and out the door. "Fucking peachy, Pete. Now go!" She shut the door in his face and flicked the lock into place. She turned and leaned her back against the door, opening her eyes to meet Lex's. His solid blue gaze held hers steadily.  
  
"You should be lucky to have friends like that."  
  
Chloe snorted and moved towards him. "Right. Overbearing, overwhelming jock-wannabe's. Are any of your friends like that? If not, you can have mine!"  
  
Lex laughed and stood up when she reached him and wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her into his embrace until her face was turned into the crook of his arm. "Even if I wanted them, I don't think they'd have me."  
  
Chloe lifted her chin to rest against his collarbone and turned her lips to brush the against the line of his jaw. "Then I guess you'll have to settle for me." When Lex stiffened Chloe cringed and pulled out of his arms. "I'm sorry, I didn't even think about whether or not you'd want to pick..."  
  
Her mouth was covered with his as his tongue swept between her parted teeth. Chloe's tongue touched with his tentatively as if testing the waters. The bolt of arousal that shot down to her center made her groan in aggrevation. Feeding off one another, their lips rocked and their tongues mated slowly. Lex pulled back away from her and ran his tongue over his bottom lip. "I most definitely want to pick up where we left off."  
  
Chloe nibbled her lower lip and looked up at him, her hazel eyes unsure. "I don't think you want to do that."  
  
Lex let his hands fall back down to his sides and casually slipped them into the front pockets of his slacks. "Why's that."  
  
He could literally see her swallow, the slim column of her neck moving rapidly. When she looked back up at him he could see the uncertainty mixing with the false sense of hope. "It's just that..." Instead of trying to explain it to him she felt around the nape of her neck and pulled a silver chain away from her skin, the rest that was hidden in the front of her shirt soon followed. On the end of it flashed a thin band of platinum and Lex grasped it with his fingers, the chain long enough for him to study it without strangling her.  
  
"It was my mother's." He said softly.  
  
Chloe nodded and let him look at it closely. "You told me, one night, you told me all about her. Then we went to bed and you woke me up at midnight and asked me to wear it."  
  
Lex's gaze that had once been glued to the slim band now met hers and his brows creased together in frustration. "So, we're not..."  
  
Chloe's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No." She laughed out loud and shook her head again as if what he'd said was absolutely absurd. "No, I'm sorry. It's not funny, it's just that..." She took a deep breath and pulled the chain off over her head and dropped the platinum links into his palm. "When you asked me to wear that ring, I thought you were going to ask me to marry you and I kind of wigged out. I said I couldn't possibly and you interupted me...in a very diabolical way, and in the morning when we woke up you told me you just wanted me to wear it, keep it safe."  
  
Lex held the ring in his hand tightly and breathed in deep, slowly letting his lungs fill with air. "I still want you to keep it, Chloe." He unhooked the chain and slid the ring into his hand. Turning around he put the necklace on his desk and grabbed her hand in his right one when he faced her again. He slowly slid the ring onto her ring finger on her right hand. "I still want you to wear it."  
  
Chloe eyes pooled with tears of happiness and she blinked them back and swallowed the down as best she could. "Are you sure?" She said softly.  
  
Lex looked at her surprised. "Yes."  
  
Chloe smiled and brought his face down to hers, each hand cupping the sides of his face. "I do still love you." She told him and was relieved when he smiled back at her slowly.  
  
"Thank you." He hugged her to him and rocked her gently in his arms. His heart felt fuller than it ever had and he had a feeling that he'd never stopped loving her either. He just couldn't say the words.  
  
When Lex and Chloe finally emerged from his office it was nearly two hours later. Mostly they'd just sat on the leather couch and talked, and every once again his greedy lips would return to hers and he'd coax her into a brief makeout session.  
  
Lana looked up from taking an order and her eyes widened as Chloe tossed the apron over at her without barely looking away from Lex. "I'm heading home now, okay?"  
  
Lana nodded and grabbed Chloe's things from under the counter, pushing them towards her. "Sure, I'll see you there." Chloe smiled and her and nodded once.  
  
"Sounds like a plan." She looked over at Lex weird and he shrugged. Lana noticed the way he watched her as she walked away, when she was about halfway to the doors she saw Ben step up and say something to her. Chloe paused for a second then shrugged and nodded.  
  
He followed her out to her car.  
  
Lex's eyes narrowed a fraction as little bolts of red appeared in his line of vision. "Who was that?"  
  
Lana stopped drying the cup she was wiping down with a dishtowel. "Uhm, Ben?"  
  
Lex stared at her expectantly. "He's some guy that goes to our school, I think he was asking her out before you got here and led her away to your dungeon, errr, I mean office."  
  
Lex's brows both raised at her playful slip-up. They soon lowered into a scowl. "What do you mean he was asking her out?"  
  
TBC...  
  
points at Kam(eurydices) She made me update.... 


	8. Chapter 7

7.

Although Chloe had agreed to meet Lex at his house, there were a few stops she still needed to make. For instance, she had to go home and check in with her dad. She fought with herself all the way home to tell him what she had failed to tell him so long ago. She knew that if she shared the news of her relationship with her dad that he'd freak out at first. But she was also sure that he would eventually come to accept Lex as a part of their family. Her dad was the closest thing she had to a best friend. When she'd lost her virginity, she'd gone to him and divulged everything but the details to him. He'd been accepting in his own fatherly way. Of course, his fatherly ways had also included a visit to their family physician to get birth control for her.

On the other hand, she also clearly remembered the lecture that had lasted for two hours where her fatherly simply stood there, hands on hips, face bright red, head bent forward, shaking as he spoke about the birds and the bees and why his daughter should turn to celibacy.

She also didn't know which direction her and Lex's relationship would go now. While it was true that Lex had shown interest in resuming their relationship, there was no telling how he'd feel about it once he had time to himself to reflect on it. When they'd originally gotten together he hadn't had any interest in a relationship with her, except for in the physical sense.

They'd both gone to Metropolis on business related trips and they'd both been dragged out to an exclusive club by their co-workers. 

_"Shelly." Chloe raised her voice to be heard over the pulsing music. Her eyes were starting to ache from the lights dancing and swirling across the crowded floor. "Hey." She grabbed onto her friend's arm._

She turned around and smiled. "This is great, isn't it?"

Chloe looked undecided on how to answer that and Shelly shook her hand off her arm and weaved her way further into the throng of gyrating teens. Chloe not only felt deserted, but extremely underdressed.

She'd let Shelly dress her and had ended up wearing a mesh top over her black bra and a tight leather miniskirt that barely covered anything important worth covering and could possibly have been rendered illegal in many states. Had she known which club they'd be attending tonight, on her last night in Metropolis, she'd have fought to wear something a little more elegant. While she didn't see anyone decked out in three peice suits, ties were preferrable and the women were wearing quite a bit more than Chloe had on. In fact, while she was baring 50 percent of her body, she'd bet no one besides her had forgone underwear. Which she had. Because she didn't own a thong and pantylines were definitely a no-no for leather.

A hand wrapped around her middle and Chloe sighed and rolled her eyes and began to sway her hips into the man's behind her. If nothing else, she was going to make the best of her last night.

Above her, Lex was sipping champagne and trying to get out of the death grip the brunette beside him had on his hand. "Oh, I see a lot of fun in your future." She said as she ran her fingers along his palm. "In fact, I see a lot of fun in your future for tonight." She licked her lips and smiled and closed his palm into a fist. "What do you say, Lex? Once more for good times sake?"

Lex let a brief chuckle escape and sat back, shaking his head. It was then he heard the laughter drifting up to him from the dance floor. It was throaty enough and loud enough to capture his attention.

"I swear they get younger and younger."

Lex looked over his shoulder and down off the balcony to wear his colleague was looking. Blonde hair and red lipstick in a sea of black stared back at him. 

Below him, Chloe was rooted to one spot, laughing at something the man dancing with her had said. Funnily enough, it had been a fake laugh, and she had let it off just as the music was paused between songs. When the man, Paul someone said he'd like to take her back to his table and pointed up at the VIP lounge above them, she'd followed his eyes to the balcony. And lo and behold a familiar face was looking back at her. So she smiled and agreed to acompany him.

Looking up at Lex, she raised her hand in a small wave and he narrowed his eyes for a brief instant, probably trying to figure out who the hell she was. She wondered if he'd even say anything to her once she was up there. All of a sudden climbing the balcony stairs didn't seem like such a good idea. When her steps faltered she felt the hands behind her on her hips, propelling her forward and up. She turned around to go back down the steps just as her left foot hit the top step. "I don't think this is such a good idea."

"Nonsense." Paul whoever smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist, turning her around and guiding her over to the table. Sure enough it was the same table Lex was at. To his left sat a brunette who was in the process of poutting at him. And as far as she could tell, was being ignored. To his right was an empty chair. Paul guided her to it and pulled up a new one to fit in between her and the person to her right. Her thigh briefly brushed up against Lex's knee as she slid into the seat and she quickly remedied that by pressing her legs closed together tightly and shifting away from him. He hadn't even acknowledged that he knew or remembered her as of yet. She wasn't going to try to ruin his good time by making small talk of a small town.

She tried to remind herself that she was here to have fun and let her inhibitions go a little. That was until she felt a warm hand close over one of her tightly pressed together knees. And that hand belonged to Paul. She smiled at him, teeth clenched together and cheekbones barely sharpening due to her restraint to let some witty remark slip out of her mouth.

Lex seemed to sense this, and simply sat back, sipping on whatever sparkly beverage was placed in front of him.

"So, Phoebe, are you from around here?"

Chloe blinked and looked around the table. He was looking at her, but she wasn't sure if he was talking to her. When he seemed to level his baby blues at her as if he were waiting for an answer she shrugged and smiled a little, deciding not to correct the name he'd called her. "Actually, I'm just here on business." That sounded much better than telling them she was an intern. She was definitely not old enough to get into this club in the first place. The last thing she wanted was to be thrown out into the chilly night air.

Lex cleared his throat and placed his glass back on the table. "Phoebe, is it?"

Chloe looked over her shoulder at him and flashed him and "I don't care." smile. "Yeah, and you are?"

Lex leaned back, his arm currently being molested by the brunette who had pressed his bicep between her two less than worthy breasts. Chloe figured he had about 50 grand cradling his arm. Wondered if he realized that they were manufactured. Wondered if he preferred real to man-made. Chloe sucked in a sharp breath when she realized she'd been wondering what turned Lex on more when it came to the subject of breasts and pasted on another fake smile.

Lex granted her the brief glimpse of a smile and arched a brow. "Lex."

Chloe nodded and decided it was safer to turn away. So she did. And then she felt tingles running up and down her spine.

Lex stroked his fingertips along Chloe's back where her top and skirt failed to meet. He'd been dying to touch her for a year or so now. And why not now? She was here. He was here.

Chloe turned around abruptly and smiled at him, causing his hand to drop from behind her chair. "So, Lex, are you from around here?"

Lex sat forward, disengaging his arm from being cuddled between two saline balloons. "Originally."

Chloe jerked her head forward once and then used both of her hands to push her hair out of her face. Lex caught the ends of a chunk of her hair and rubbed it between his fingertips. "Are you a natural blonde, Phoebe?" His emphasis on her false name didn't seem to bother anyone but her.

Chloe smiled and ran her fingertips over his bald head. "Are you naturally bald, Lex?"

She literally felt the silence descend upon the table. Lex didn't seem put off by her forward comment. "Would you like me to tell you?" He let her hair fall away from his fingers before leaning forward and placing his lips beside her ear, "or would you rather investigate for yourself?"

Chloe sucked in a startled breath and turned her face to his, their lips rubbing as she whipped her head around.

Lex decided not to wait for an invitation and rubbed his lips across hers again. And again. His eyes stared deeply into hers and she felt her eyelids start to droop and her sight start to haze over just a bit. Oh, she was in trouble all right.


End file.
